Brian’s Bacon/Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Serves 6 to 8
Prep time: 10-to-15 minutes; cooking time: 3 ½ – to – 4 hours
Ingredients

  • 1 (4-to-8 lbs.) pkg. pork belly, skin removed, cut into 1 ½ x 1 ½ inch pieces
  • Favorite BBQ rub (½ cup or enough to coat meat)
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, sliced
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup honey (can substitute agave nectar)
  • Pork belly sauce (link)

Directions

  1. Season all sides of pork cubes w/rub.
  2. Arrange cubes on full-size cooling rack; put rack on grill/smoking grate
  3. Smoke, grill or cook pork in slow cooker. Directions for all three cooking options below: 

Smoker

  • Heat smoker to 225° F to 250° F. (Use Applewood for smoke).
  • Smoke pork belly for 2-to-2 ½ hours.

Grill

  • Heat to 250° F to 275° F. (Add 2 medium / large chunks of Apple Wood for smoke or use a smoke box.)
  • Grill pork belly, covered over indirect heat for 2-to-2 ½ hours.

Slow cooker

  • Cook 6 – to – 8 hours on low (or 2-to-4 hours on high).
  • Heat grill to about 300° F.
  • Put cooked chunks on cookie cooling racks that are on grill grates (this helps keep smaller chunks from falling through.)
  • Grill chunks, covered, for 4-to-5 minutes to get some smoke, char marks, and to crisp fat.
  • Flip chunks, grill another 4-to-5 minutes, per side.
  1. In deep aluminum pan, add cooked pork belly chunks; top with brown sugar, honey; put butter slices between chunks; cover w/aluminum foil; return to grill or smoker or oven preheated to 250° F for 1 ½ hours (or until pieces are tender).
  1. While pork chunks are cooking, make pork belly sauce. Add BBQ sauce, apple juice, jelly, onion, hot sauce to medium saucepan; simmer, covered, over medium heat until sauce consistency; set aside.
  1. After pork has cooked again, remove liquid from aluminum pan; add pork belly sauce; gently toss to coat each piece; return to preferred cooking method for 5-to-10 minutes (or until sauce sets); serve.